Things You Say
by nickletchicklet
Summary: Harry, Draco, Ginny, Hermione, and Ron at Hogwarts over the Christmas hols. Fluff'n'stuff, with perhaps a bit of action, and plenty of angst... PLEASE r/r!!!
1. Chapter One:Ginny

Summary: Harry, Ron, Hermione, Ginny, and Draco stay at Hogwarts for the holidays and REALLY get into the Christmas spirit, if ya know what I mean...*wink wink* A tiny bit of angst, and possibly slash.  
  
Disclaimer: Urgh.  
  
.....  
  
Chapter One: Ginny  
  
  
  
Gryffindor Tower was silent except for the faint whispers of the early morning and the dawn of a new day. Outside the world had been covered in a fresh coat of soft, powdery white. The snow was still falling thickly, glimmering in the day's first rays of light. In was a new day. A new beginning for the world and the people who still cocooned themselves in the sanctuary of their restful dreams.  
  
All except for one.  
  
Ginny Weasley smiled softly to herself as she stood at the windowsill and watched the sun rise. It was rare for her to be up this early, but sometimes, usually just when she needed it most, her body roused her in time to enjoy this simple pleasure. A slight movement below on the grounds caught her eye, and it took her a moment to realize what it was. Hagrid, with the Chimera. (A/N: Sorry if I spelled that wrong!) Trust the half- giant to tame a known wizard killer. Hagrid called it 'chuckie'. She laughed, not a little bitterly. Everyone knew why there had been an increase in dangerous beasts at Hogwarts. The redhead sighed and turned away from the window.  
  
Ever since Voldemort's return it was as though fear had taken up permanent residence in everyone's eyes. It didn't help that in the past year muggles and wizards had been dying left and right. And Harry...  
  
Ginny felt tears hovering at the corners of her ears and pulled her robe closer, turning away from the window. Shw moved to one of the large velvet armchairs next to the fireplace and sat, tucking her knees under her chin in a childish posture, her thoughts lingering on the boy-who-lived.  
  
There had been no respite for Harry once the dark lord had risen. It had begun the summer after the TriWizard Cup. The headaches, the blackouts, the attacks on his friends and then last year the Dursleys... The pain was killing him inside. And it killed her to see that empty look in his eyes.  
  
The sweet trill of some sort of bird brought Ginny out of her dark thoughts and with a heavy heart, she stood. She padded silently up the thickly carpeted stairs, and casting a glance at the staircase that led up to the boys' dormitory her thoughts were with Harry. She wished silently that whatever he was dreaming, it brought him some peace. 


	2. Chapter Two: A little Christmas spirit

Chapter Two: A little Christmas spirit  
  
Author's Note: I put it to the readers, (if anyone reads this...*crosses fingers* lol) slash or no slash? ........  
  
A pale finger of sunlight touched the face of the sleeping brunette. His long dark eyelashes cast feathery shadows on his ruddy cheeks. A strand of jet black hair trailed over his eye, and a well-sculpted hand reached up to brush it away impatiently.  
  
One would never guess that the sleeping figure held the cares it posessed, or that only in sleep did the worry lines fade from his smooth brow, marred only by the thin jagged scar on his forehead. The traitorous strand of hair slipped back over his eye and with a grumble of irritation his eyelids opened to reveal the startling green iris's behind them  
  
A few more phrases that vaguely resembled sentences, and Harry Potter sat up, rubbing his hads tiredly over his face. He looked around sleepily and saw that the bed next to his was still occupied. Ron snored softly, still wrapped up in the depths of sleep. Harry yawned and rolled out of bed, grabbing his glasses as he did so.  
  
A glance out the window told him it couldn't be any later than 5:30, but his stomach grumbled insistently. As it was the first day of Christmas Hols, Harry didn't bother with his invisibility cloak, he just grabbed his regular robes and slippers and wand, for he never went anywhere without it these days, and made his way downstairs and out of the portrait hole.  
  
His footsteps echoed slightly in the corridors as he made his way to the kitchen. He hadn't slept well last night. For one, he had just recieved some startling news. Sirius was coming for a visit, and this always caused him some anxiety. He had already lost so many people dear to him, and he didn't think he could bear it if he lost Sirius. For another, his nightmares had been getting worse.  
  
He knew that at the age of 17, he had more responsibility than most people ever would, or should have. So many lives and dreams seemed to rest on his shoulders. And sometimes the enormity of it all overwhelmed him. A killing every other day, and his scar burned constantly, now a pain that was never sharp, only throbbing. The blackouts were becoming more and more frequent...and Ginny...  
  
Harry rubbed at his temples, sensing one killer headache coming on. He couldn't even think about Ginny. Or Ron or Hermione most of the time. The danger they were in, every single day, simply because he cared about them. They had wanted to return to The Burrow for Christmas, but Dumbledore had firmly maintained that it was too dangerous.  
  
And so here he was.  
  
Harry stopped in front of the portrait of the fruit bowl and reached out to tickle the pear as usual, but his hand froze at the sound of a familiar voice.  
  
"Potter?"  
  
Harry turned quickly to see Draco Malfoy walking toward him with non of his usual swagger. In fact, Malfoy looked rather rumpled. His hair was dishelveled and traces of sleep still lingered over his features.  
  
"Malfoy." Harry replied slowly.  
  
"Come to visit your dirty little house-elf pals?" Draco sneered, though rather halfheartedly. There was something different about him today, Harry decided. He seems...sad.  
  
"Breakfast." Harry said shortly, fingers flexing around his wand. Sad or not, he knew Malfoy and had no qualms about hexing him six ways from saturday if he tried anything.  
  
Malfoy arched an eyebrow. "not going to Weasles house this Christmas?" he asked, not quite cruelly enough.  
  
"Well I thought about it," Harry shot back. "But then I decided I'd rather be alive this Christmas."  
  
The blonde's face twisted, his gray eyes looking stormily at his longtime rival. There was a long silence. "I'm..." Draco seemed to struggle. "I'm sorry."  
  
Harry rand a hand absentmindedly through his hair. He was to tired to puzzle out that one right now. "Look," he said. "D'you want to join me for breakfast?"  
  
Draco stared at him. "Are you MAD?"  
  
Harry chuckled. "Call it Christmas spirit." 


	3. Chapter Three: Awwwwwww

Chapter Three: Awwwwww....  
  
Author's Note: If I get boring or too detailed let me know, I know I tend to wander a bit...  
  
.........  
  
Her slender hands were cradled against her cheek as she slept, her skin glowed still with youth, though she was 17 years of age. Her normally stubborn chin was relaxed enough to part her full lips and her honey tinted curls spread out on the pillow around her in a recklessness that seemd out of place for the orderly and proper girl.  
  
Ron Weasley smiled gently. Harry's departure had woken the redhead, but he had learned long ago that when his friend desired company he would ask for it. So instead he had come here, as he sometimes did when he needed to sort things out. For now, though, he was content to just watch Hermione sleep. He resisted the urge to pull the covers up over her bare shoulder because she would probably wake up and hex his hand off if he did, instead reaching out to tuck the unruly strand of hair that tickled her cheek behind her her ear.  
  
"I don't know what you think you're doing Ronald Weasley, but you won't be doing it at the age of 18 if you touch me again."  
  
Ron grinned. "Good morning, my dearest."  
  
Hermione snorted and her arms came out from under the fluffly comforter to stretch above her head. "Yeah, whatever."  
  
She rubbed the sleep from her tired eyes and turned back to glare at his smiling face. "God, it must be six o'clock, what are you doing here?" It wasn't the first time he had come into her dormitory while she was sleeping for one reason or another.  
  
Ron sighed and flopped onto the bed beside her. he didn't speak for a long time. "I'm worried." he said finally.  
  
"About Harry?"  
  
"And Ginny as well."  
  
"Why?"  
  
"She's so detached...I can't remember the last time I saw her laugh...or smile, even."  
  
"She's hurting." Hermione said, leaning her head against his shoulder. "She'll come out of it."  
  
"Does she ever talk to you about it?"  
  
"About what happened? yeah, sometimes." Hermione smiled sleepily. "I'm the Agony Aunt of Gryffindor Tower." she paused. "She really loves him."  
  
"I know. I think he loves her as well. He's just scared, that's all. You know what happened to..."  
  
They lapsed into silence again. After a few more minutes, Ron rolled over on his side to face her, a mischevious grin on his face. "I'm going to try this again." he said. "Good morning, Hermione." he leaned forward and claimed her lips in a kiss until he felt her fingers start to grip at his shirt. Only then did he pull back and give them both room to breathe.  
  
"Good morning, Ron." she grinned into his neck, sighing contentedly. Then, "We'll both get in soooooo much trouble if McGonagall finds you in here."  
  
"Mhmmm..." Ron mumbled in agreement.  
  
"Ew, you guys." A voice teased from the doorway.  
  
The pair looked up to see Ginny standing there, hands on her hips, smirking playfully.  
  
"Sod off." Ron laughed. Hermione giggled uncharacteristically and wriggled out of Ron's grasp, clambering out of bed. Ron slid out after her.  
  
"Er..." Ginny was still smirking at them. "I was just coming to see if you guys wanted to go get some breakfast?"  
  
"Shouldn't we wait for Harry?" Ron said.  
  
"Where is Harry, anyway?" Hermione asked. 


	4. Chapter Four: A Truce

Hogwarts kitchen smelled like everything good about Christmas, and Draco couldn't help the boyish grin that broke out over his handsome face. Most people wouldn't guess it, but the blonde slytherin had a soft spot for all things that smacked of Christmastime. He was so wrapped up in his own thoughts, it took him a moment to realize Harry was looking curiously at him.  
  
"What?" Draco said.  
  
"Er, nothing, I just-" Harry laughed. "I've just never seen you smile-like that, I mean."  
  
"Like what?"  
  
"Like, I don't know," Harry shrugged. "Like a human being."  
  
Draco shrugged. "I thought you were hungry?"  
  
The house elves were bustling about, and one pulled gently on Harry's robes. "If Mr.Harry Potter and Mr.Draco would like their breakfast now..."  
  
Harry smiled gently down at it. "Thanks Winky."  
  
"Dobby is asking Winky to take care of Mr.Harry Potter, sir, and Winky does." the house-elf beamed and began to lead them to a small scrubbed wooden table where the elves had piled all sorts of yummy breakfast whatsits.  
  
With a vigor that is only attributed to teenage boys, the two tucked into thei mini feast. Draco hadn't realized how hungry he was until that moment, and Harry seemed quite content to gorge himself in silenc, which was lucky for the young Slytherin, who had no idea what to say. If it hadn't been happening, he would have said it could never happen, he was having breakfast with the boy-who-lived. "Bloody hell." he mumbled to himself through a mouthful of french toast  
  
Harry swallowed. "Sorry?"  
  
"Er...nothing."  
  
"You said SOMETHING."  
  
"Well-I said...well it's all quite unusual, isn't it?"  
  
"What is?" Harry asked innocently.  
  
"Oh don't be daft, Potter. You know as well as I do that we're not, well,"  
  
"Friends?"  
  
"Yeah, that." Draco to a large bit of poppyseed muffin and chewed violently.  
  
Harry's mouth twitched into a sad smile. "Why are you here, Draco?"  
  
Draco stared at him. "What?"  
  
"I said, why are you here...Draco."  
  
"Didn't feel like going home is all."  
  
"Oh you'd rather be all alone in Slytherin Commons?"  
  
"Maybe. We're not all part of one big mushy happy family, Potter."  
  
Harry was silent for a moment. "I'm sorry." he said finally, echoing Draco's words from earlier.  
  
"Yeah." the blonde replied. "Well." he chewed thoughtfully.  
  
"Draco," Harry said. "Since...since you're kinda, y'know all alone...er...well, I was thinking...you could, if you want, you could eat with us, I mean, at the feast and such....if you'd like some company"  
  
Malfoy stared blanky at him as if he truly believed Harry had lost his mind. "A truce?"  
  
"Yeah, a truce."  
  
All right then." Draco agreed gruffly. "But don't think it means I like you or anything P...Harry."  
  
Harry grinned. "Wouldn't dream of it." 


	5. Chapter Five: The Flight of sorts

Someone actually read my story...that's so nifty! Anyway, it seems that there's going to be quite a bit more angst than previously thought...Oh well. I'm going to be writing and posting nonstop pretty much so I can finish by at least the day after Christmas...*sigh*  
  
  
  
Chapter Five: The Flight (of sorts)  
  
Gryffindor Tower was quiet as Harry climbed back through the portrait hole, and he wondered fleetingly if his friends had simply gone down to breakfast without him. A quiet voice shattered that notion.  
  
"You're back." Ginny Weasley sat curled in one of the plush velvet armchairs near the fireplace.  
  
Harry felt as though he had been delivered a swift kick in the gut. It seemed to happen only when he was around Ginny, he mused sarcastically. Gee, wonder why. "Uh-huh." was all he could think to say, and ran a hand nervously through his hair.  
  
Ginny looked at him with a soft smile. "Hermione and Ron went down to eat."  
  
"And you..."  
  
"I wasn't hungry."  
  
"Ah."  
  
There was a long, tense silence. And Harry took avantage of it. He saw Ginny so rarely these days, purposefully, for the most part. There were fresh tears standing in her eyes but she seemed quite determined to hold them back. Her lower lip trembled violently, and she refused to meet his gaze.  
  
"Ginny..." Harry started. He wanted to tell her so many things. Like how sorry he was, how much he loved her need her, wanted her, he wanted to tell her that he didn't care about Voldemort, only cared about her, and...  
  
Ginny looked at him almost hopefully. "Yea?"  
  
"Er...I'll see you later, all right? I-I've got...erm...a potions...essay." He bit down on his lip and turned to leave.  
  
Ginny slumped back in the chair, silently berating herself. Her heart broke a little more every time she saw Harry anyway, what could it hurt to get her hopes up, right? She waited until she heard his footsteps descending to the 7th year boys dormitory and then let out the dry sob that had been welling up in her. Potions essay. Yeah, right.  
  
Suddenly, the cozy warmth of the Gryffindor common room was stifling, suffocating. She fled. Out the portrait hole, down the charms corridor, the hallways began to blur together in her distraught mind until she ran directly into someone going the other direction and landed hard on the stone floor. She had a vague notion of green robes and blonde hair before slipping into unconciousness. 


	6. Chapter Six:Er, chapter six

Chapter Six: Er...chapter six  
  
TRUTH POTIONS AND THEIR 700 VARIATIONS  
  
Harry stared blankly at the book in front of him. The peice of parchment next to him read:  
  
Truth  
  
That was it.  
  
To tell the truth (sorry, no pun intended) Harry's mind was elsewhere. On a certain redheaded Gryffindor. And no, I don't mean Ron.  
  
He couldn't wipe that look of complete and utter desolation out of his memory. Couldn't banish that moment from his mind. Some days he wished he could take it all back, and some days he wouldn't trade that one fleeting memory for anything. It was all he was ever going to have of Ginny.  
  
Because he just couldn't risk it.  
  
He rolled over and pulled a peice of parchment from under his mattress, reading it for tenth time that day.  
  
Dear Harry, Hope you're well, and Ron and Hermione and your sweetheart too. Sorry, kid. Just trying to lighten things up a bit.  
  
(Harry snorted.)  
  
Anyway. I wanted to let you know I'll be coming to Hogwarts. Probably sometime over Christmas break. I have some important new for you and Dumbledore and I have to give it to you in person. I'll give you your gift when I see you.  
  
(If. Harry thought darkly. If you see me.)  
  
In the meantime, happy christmas. Sirius  
  
Harry folded the letter and flopped onto his back with a sigh. What on earth could Sirius have to tell them? He sighed again and decided to take another crack at his essay, for he hadn't been lying when he said he had to do it. He opened the book to a page at random, hoping it would inspire him, and read:  
  
Muste Solution: Discovered in the early 1800s by well known wizard AJ Muste, is something like an airborne disease. The solution is dropped onto something, food, clothing, and when the victim catches a whiff, the desired secret has to be kept. Often used to torture witches and wizards known for gossiping...  
  
Harry shook his head and ran his hand through his hair, unconciously trying to neaten it. He had given up that battle long ago on a concious level. His mind wandered back to the girl downstairs, and the ache in his chest intensified. Perhaps he could...  
  
"Harry." Ron appeared at the door of the dormitory. "It's Ginny, come quick." 


	7. Chapter Seven:Someone's going on the 'ni...

Chapter Seven: Someone's going on the 'nice' list this year...   
  
(A/N: This is backtracking a bit...perhaps that's clear, but whatever)  
  
"Bloody HELL..." Draco muttered. "Sodding goody-two-shoes Gryffindors pooping up all over the place, can't a body get any peace..." He looked down at the young redhead on the floor. What to do with her? His first impulse was to leave her, but a letter from his father that had been received that morning still weighed heavily on his mind. The Weasley girl had enough troubles ahead of her without being left to the mercy of Peeves or Mr.Filch.  
  
He scooped her small frame up in his arms and set off toward the great hall, in hopes that Potter or one of his friends would be there and wouldn't kill him before he had a chance to explain.  
  
As luck would have it, Granger and the Weasel were there. Ron started up as Malfoy approached them, but Hermione spoke first. "What happened, Malfoy?"  
  
Draco looked at them and felt a twinge of guilt. They had no idea what was going to be revealed to them in just a very few hours, he imagined. "I don't know." he replied quietly. "I was walking up from the dungeons and she ran into me, quite hysterical, mind you, and -" he paused as he transferred Ginny to her brother's arms. "-and then she sort of collapsed."  
  
"All on her own, eh?" Ron said furiously. "If you did something to her Malfoy, I swear to Merlin, I'll-"  
  
"Ron, I'm not surprised." Hermione cut him off smoothly. " You know Ginny hasn't been eating, she's probably suffering from malnutrition and such...oh dear, we should take her up to the Hospital Wing right away...Madam Pomfrey will know what to do."  
  
"Yeah, yeah, all right." Ron muttered.  
  
"Acually, Ron, why don't you and Malfoy do it, and I'll get Harry."  
  
"Hermione!" Ron sounded outraged.  
  
"Oh fine then, I'LL go with Malfoy and YOU get Harry."  
  
"That's no better!"  
  
"Ron." Hermione sighed patiently. "I don't have time to argue with you. Give Ginny to Malfoy. He hasn't hurt her yet, I doubt he'll start now." Ron grudgingly obliged her, giving Draco murderous looks all the while. "Now go get Harry." Ron slouched off in the direction of the doors and Hermione sighed. Draco had to admire her empowered attitude.  
  
"Now," she rounded on him and he became a bit less admiring and a bit more intimidated. "Let's go. I want to know everything about what happened, and I mean EVERYTHING, it could be important." He followed her meekly out of the dining hall.  
  
"Er, okay, well, she came tearing round the corner blubbering like a-"  
  
Hermione gave him a hard look that said 'Some people might be afraid of you, but I'M not.'  
  
"Okay, okay, she was running and crying about...something." Draco paused. "What do you mean she hasn't been eating?"  
  
"Like you care." They hopped the trick step, and Hermione was surprised at the way Draco was careful not to jolt the small body in his arms.  
  
"Perhaps I do." was all he said.  
  
"Ginny's...depressed, I guess you could say. She's been having a rough time of it."  
  
"With...Potter."  
  
"Yeah."  
  
"Not surprised."  
  
"Well, frankly, neither was anyone else, at least when they started snogging in the middle of the common room. What surprised people was Harry running away 5 minutes later."  
  
"Er, not following you."  
  
"Yeah. Kissed her and ran. Quite a soap opera. People thought he was just shy until the nub and thrust of it came out."  
  
"Yeah?" This was juicy stuff, Draco mused. Who knew Potty and the Weasel had such interesting lives or that the brainiac could be such a gossip?  
  
"Harry and Ginny...they love each other, I think, but with the dark lord and all the deaths, especially people close to Harry...he's scared, I think, and Ginny..."  
  
"Yeah?"  
  
"And..." Hermione faltered.  
  
"Er, what?"  
  
She shook herself. "Why am I telling you this? Anyway, here we are."  
  
Draco would be dissapointed that they had reached the hostpital wing except for the fact that his arms had started to go numb. Madame Pomfrey almost accosted them, clucking in a motherly way and demanding to know what had happened. Draco gently deposited Ginny on one of the hospital beds and left quiet and unnoticed as Madame P tutted at Hermione. Or so he thought.  
  
Hermione saw him leave and a small smile alighted her face. What had gotten into Draco Malfoy? 


	8. Chapter Eight: An Awakening or two

Chapter Eight: An Awakening or two  
  
A/N: Ummm...it's not quite as fluffy as I'd hoped, but I promise a big happy gooey ending....bear with me! .............  
  
  
  
"Ginny?"  
  
Ginny groaned softly and slid deeper into thesoft bedclothes. Who was trying to wake her? Sleep...sleep was good.  
  
"Ginny, wake up."  
  
Her head hurt.  
  
Why did her head hurt?  
  
"Er, because you bashed it against a big bit of rock."  
  
Had she said that out loud?  
  
"Yes."  
  
Ginny opened her eyes gingerly. "Hermione?"  
  
"Thanks, Gin." Harry said, mock affrontedly. She realized he was gripping her hand tightly and his face was rather pale.  
  
"I'm here." Hermione spoke up, leaning over the girl with a tender smile.  
  
"Me too." Ron piped up.  
  
"Who...who brought me here?"  
  
"Erm...Malfoy." Ron said gruffly.  
  
Ginny raised an eyebrow.  
  
"I second that." Ron sighed breezily. "Just don't ask me. I reckon he's hit his head on something as well."  
  
Ginny giggled and then winced. "Ow."  
  
Harry was watching her silently, biting his lip in the kind of way he had that made her want to...Ginny looked away. "Um, is it all right for me to leave the hospital wing?"  
  
"Yeah, Madame P said you'd be good as ne soon as you were awake. She also said though that if you don't start eating properly you'll be right back here." Hermione told her sternly.  
  
"I didn't know you weren't eating, Gin." Harry said quietly. She looked at him.  
  
"Yeah. Well. I guess I didn't really notice either."  
  
The tension in the room was so thick you could've cut it with a knife.  
  
"Well," Harry said, after an uncomfortable silence. "Let's get you out of here, shall we?"  
  
They helped Ginny back to Gryffindor and Hermione insisted she take Ginny up to bed ("You still need rest."), leaving Ron and Harry alone in the common room. Harry sighed and flopped into a chair.  
  
"Scared the crap out of me."  
  
"I could tell." Ron said quietly.  
  
Harry looked at him and shook his head. "We've had this discussion..."  
  
"You love her-"  
  
"And today just proves my point, if I lost her-"  
  
"You'll lose her anyway, don't you see that?"  
  
"What are you going on about?"  
  
"She'll move ON Harry, Ginny loves you but she's not stupid." Ron was visibly upset. "She'll move on and you'll still lose her, just in a different way. At least you could be together, even if..."  
  
"Even if she dies."  
  
"Harry, it's not-" Ron sighed frustratedly. "It's killing both of you. Dammit, you have this...whatever it is you two have...and you can't hide from it or run away from it...I saw that today in your face, and in hers. You'll just end up hurting both of you."  
  
"I'd rather that than have her dead." Harry said in a deadly whisper. "I don't think I could live with seeing her with someone else, Ron, but I could endure it. Just as long as she's alive...I don't care."  
  
"You DO care and that's the thing." Ron said hotly. "You care. Stop denying it."  
  
"I-I can't risk it." Harry said weakly.  
  
Ron sighed. "It's like Hermione said...or maybe it was Lav. Who knows, some girly thing, anyway, but it makes sense. It was, er, the heart wants what the heart wants. Be happy. If not for yourselves, then for me, because I am tired of all the moping about."  
  
Harry stared fixedly at his shoes. "I'm sorry, Ron...I wish you could understand."  
  
"Yeah." Ron muttered. "I wish I could understand too." 


End file.
